Writer Charles Bowden said in the May 2009 edition of Harper’s magazine that he “cannot explain the draw of the city that gives death but makes everyone feel life.”

The city he referred to was Cuidad Juárez. I was drawn there too, in search of forces of creation amidst much destruction. In a place so rocked by violence, militarization and economic hardship, it can be hard to believe that—like any other big city—there are many determined individuals striving for more than mere survival. The women I met during my research for this piece have banded together to forge a hopeful vision for themselves, their families and their community.